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3.09.2006

Headed for Cashville

I made my way to Nashville (aka Cashville) today for the SEC Tournament. I ran across something that angered me when I drove up for the AU-Vandy game in January, and it's still a mess.

I-65, mile marker 308-318 or so, near Cullman. The speed limit drops to 55 for no apparent reason. In January, there were signs posted for "rough road" -- is that official terminology? -- though the road seemed fine to me. The DOT since has paved the road, yet the 55-mph speed limit remains.

I've been through that zone three times now. I have seen an officer handing out a speeding ticket each time.

The yahoos in Athens saw what Cullman was doing, and now Athens has a 55-mph zone around mile marker 354 ... for a five-mile stretch. This allegedly is for road construction, though I saw none.

3.08.2006

More spring football

*FB Mike McLaughlin will miss the rest of the spring and probably the fall after tearing a knee ligament in the team's first spring scrimmage. This has been a hot topic among some AU friends of mine. That makes me laugh. Fullbacks truly are interchangeable in this offense. Auburn has a few other guys -- Andrew Turman and Steve Gowland, in particular -- who can be that tough guy Jake Slaughter was. I feel bad for McLaughin, he seems like a good kid, but this injury isn't a stumbling block for this team's 2006 fortunes.

*I didn't think CB Jonathan Wilhite improved much last season, but he has been progressing well this spring. He struggles to defend wideouts who run good routes (Courtney Taylor) but has the speed and experience to make up ground quickly. He made a really nice interception on a deep ball Tuesday that he wouldn't have made last season. Wilhite is going to be really good this year, provided he stays injury-free again.

*I don't watch the QBs a lot, but it seems like Brandon Cox has more zip on his throws.

*S Tristan Davis looks like a natural on defense. He's quite fast, and he seems pretty instictive consdering he was a tailback last year. Davis plays with a lot of enthusiasm. That will endear him to new DC Will Muschamp. I'd be surprised if Davis doesn't start the season opener against WSU. He's also a big-time trash talker. I like that.

*I still don't know what to make of DL Pat Sims. He quit the team last fall, then made his way back in early January. He's playing harder than ever before, that's obvious, but can he maintain that level? His teammates are saying the right things. His position coach, Don Dunn, is more cautious with his words. We'll just have to see how this one plays out.

3.06.2006

More thoughts on football

A few more things that have come to mind since the scrimmage:

*OLB Tray Blackmon looks really good. He's a perfect fit for new DC Will Muschamp, who values assertiveness and tackling skill above all. Blackmon has both. He has unusual acceleration for a linebacker, has no apparent regard for his body and knows how to stop someone quickly. I think he'll end up sharing time with Merrill Johnson on the weak side, though both of them have the talent to start.

*QB Cal Booker doesn't look good right now. His passes don't look good coming out of his hand, and he threw without confidence in the scrimmage. I don't understand how he fits into Auburn's plans right now. Blake Field is better right; incoming freshman Neil Caudle probably will be better than both of them soon.

*TBs Ben Tate and Kenny Irons have a good relationship that's going to benefit Auburn for years to come. Think about it: Tate is a high-school senior who came to a major college and (at worst) is holding his own against the top players. Irons is serving as Tate's mentor right now. He's a humble guy, a patient guy, and is instilling those traits into Tate. I'm not sure what will happen with Tate next season. The safe thing would be to redshirt him and avoid additional depth-chart clutter. Then again, he may be able to help right away.

*TE Tommy Trott made a really nice diving grab in the scrimmage -- a pass nobody outside of Courtney Taylor would have pulled off. The kid has top-rate receiving skills. I think he's going to be a star.

*I love watching CB David Irons and Taylor go at it with their verbal sparring. I can't hear them well from my spot on the field, but you can see the helmets bobbing up and down, arms flailing, fingers pointing. I'd love to mic Irons for one scrimmage just to hear all the outlandish things he says out there. The stuff he says on the sideline is bad enough...